Greenlight Laser Transforms Prostate Surgery

The acquisition of a Greenlight laser for St. Paul's Hospital provides prostate surgery patients with a safer procedural option and elimination of post-surgery hospital stay.

St. Paul's will soon be home to the Les and Irene Dube Urology Centre of Health – benefiting all Saskatchewan residents. St. Paul's Hospital Foundation reached out to the community in a Christmas campaign to help purchase the Greenlight laser – a perfect equipment addition for the Urology Centre. "The Greenlight laser is an example of the state of the art equipment the new centre will provide, along with renovated facilities and advanced treatment options – all improving services at St. Paul's for the community." says Todd Rosenberg, Board Chair of St. Paul's Hospital.

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Greenlight laser surgery for prostate blockage virtually eliminates bleeding and also avoids a serious chemical imbalance that sometimes occurs with other procedures. In addition to making the surgery safer, recovery times are quicker and smoother. About 80% of men requiring prostate surgery could benefit from the laser, and many can have the surgery as outpatients.

Over $100,000 was generously donated through the Christmas campaign, helping to purchase the desired laser. "As a urologist, I am excited about providing Greenlight laser surgery for my patients. It's not just a different way to perform prostate surgery – Greenlight transforms the way I can perform the surgery. I look forward to making this common operation safer, less painful and more convenient for the men I serve." exclaims Dr. Kishore Visvanathan, Head of Urology for St. Paul's Hospital, "The support of the community has allowed us to move forward with the acquisition - with the first patients booked for this week."

"The green light laser is a substantial addition to the Urology Centre of Health. It will go a long way toward assisting the Saskatoon Health Region in achieving its first strategic objective of transforming the care and service experience," said Dr. Alan Casson, Head, Department of Surgery, Saskatoon Health Region.

The Saskatoon Health Region announced that as of February 2, 2009, Inpatient Urology services will consolidate at St. Paul's Hospital.

Problems with the prostate gland is fairly common for men over 50, according to webmed. But, developing prostate issues is something that men want to avoid, as the gland plays an important role in male fertility as well as the proper functioning of the urinary tract. An enlarged prostate gland, for example, can block the flow of urine from the bladder causing an urinary tract infection. Mayoclinic suggests that a diet packed with nutrients have a positive impact in prostate health. So, the 5 vegan recipes below will provide all the needed nutrients for optimal prostate gland health.

Where once Epstein Barr Virus and Human Papilloma Virus were believed to affect mostly women, science has found that men can be affected too. Until now, prostate cancer causes have been blamed on genetics. However, older research suggest that the Herpes Viruses have always been suspect as a cause of cancers. More now than ever, Epstein Barr Virus and Human Papilloma Virus are strongly linked to prostate cancer affecting fathers, husbands, brothers, son and fathers.This is relevant given the new focus on prostate cancer, the elusive herpes virus Epstein Barr, and its multitude of transformative symptoms affecting the man in your life.

If you experience symptoms such as frequent urination and poor flow of urine a yearly rectal examination is recommended and may reveal if you have a prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate, suggests Doctor Ademola Orolu, a Family Physician.

The new paradigm for the treatment of prostate cancer from Urology includes drug therapy, surgery and radiation. Researchers say this paradigm holds a good promise for treating previously incurable cancer.

As of April 2017, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) reversed its 2012 recommendation to change prostate cancer screening from a D grade (meaning to discourage use of testing) to a C grade or screening based on history and circumstances, in order to improve the screening of men ages 55-69. The task force still does not recommend screening for men age 70 and up.